Are white freshies truly white?

Some of you might recall my earlier enquiries about Akoyas... I thought I made up my mind on getting a 16" AAA Akoya but i now find myself trying to talk me into an opera length freshadama, which will get me the look I want at lower cost. I know the luster is different and I accept that in exchange for volume and savings.

However, theres one thing that really bothers me - the body color of Freshies. The wonderful, super patient Mia at PP has sent me a pic with Akoyas and freshadamas. On the photo, it looks as if there a hint of 'cream color' on the white freshadamas which makes the pearls seem darker and creamier than the Akoyas. I notice this on pics posted by others as well.

So my questions are... Do white freshies tend to have a hint of cream on them? what effect does pink/white overtone has on the color?

I'd say that no "white" pearls are really white. They will reflect the color of your complexion and the clothing you are wearing. Because they are a round surface, they have a depth to them you can't get in an ordinary bead. Each individual strand is carefully matched, but will differ slightly from other strands. Some Akoya strands may be "whiter" with a more mirror luster. Very difficult to capture the subtle overtones of pearls in a photo, besides colors are affected by your computer monitor, too.

Pattye - you are right - photos can't really tell you how the pearls are like in person. Despite my worry about the color, sometimes I wonder if they are noticeable at all, when they are not lined up against other strands and magnified.

Pearl Dreams - Beautiful luster! Thank you for posting the photo. Your earrings are the kind of 'white' i'm after. What overtone do they have?

I have my pair of PP freshadama dangles like Pattye! Mine have a slight pink overtone, 8.5-9mm. You can ask for specific overtones at PP and for pictures! Great buy! I have more pictures of them in my album...

I do think white freshies tend to be a bit "cream", but you can't really see it until you compare it side by side with other pearls such as white South Sea. I just did it with my AAA grade fw earrings with some loose South Sea pearls, the freshwaters appear slightly cream and SS ones look silvery. But separately, they look perfect white.

decision made i am going for 16' AAA Akoya. It's the mirror shine that i wanted all along. But i'm going to spoil myself with an opera length AAA FWP to achieve the look that i can't afford using Akoya.

Once again, thank you for all your input and sharing! The process is so much fun! i've learned so much about pearls that i now appreciate them in a much deeper way, certainly beyond their outer looks. THANKS!